America

Starring:Neil Hamilton, Erville Alderson, Carol Dempster, Charles Emmett Mack, Lee Beggs, John Dunton, Arthur Donaldson, Charles Bennett (II), Downing Clarke, Frank Walsh, Frank McGlynn Sr., Arthur Dewey, P.R. Scammon, Lionel Barrymore, Sydney Deane, W.W. Jones, Edward Roseman, Harry Semels, Harry O'Neill, Henry Van Bousen
Director: D.W. Griffith
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Description

Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band Live in Dublin' features 23 songs drawn from the band's performances in Dublin, Ireland at The Point on November 17, 18 and 19, 2006. Songs include fan favorites from 'The Seeger Sessions,' radical interpretations from the Springsteen songbook and rare songs appearing for the first time on any Springsteen release. The DVD captures the band during the finale of its multi-leg 2006 tour.
The Word Magazine (UK) said of a concert on this tour, "I have never, make that NEVER, seen a show better than the one mounted by Bruce Springsteen and his (Sessions) band." The Washington Post declared, "It was the best live show I've seen in at least five years. (And I've seen a few.)"

Documented with nine cameras, the concert was filmed in High Definition (HD).

Atlantic City
Eyes On The Prize
Jesse James
Further On (Up The Road)
O Mary Don't You Weep
Erie Canal
If I Should Fall Behind
My Oklahoma Home
Highway Patrolman
Mrs. McGrath
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live (Bruce Springsteen Version)
Jacob's Ladder
Long Time Comin'
Open All Night
Pay Me My Money Down
Growin' Up
When The Saints Go Marching In
This Little Light Of Mine
American Land
Blinded By The Light

Special Feature: TWO BONUS TRACKS
Love Of The Common People
We Shall Overcome

Customer Reviews:

If you missed the show ..........2007-07-03

This is a very good chance to see Bruce with the Sessions Band if you missed the tour. I did, so I am happy they decided to put this DVD together. Overall, this is a very good show, which I am rating 9 over 10 or 4 stars and a half. Besides the songs from the Segger album, I particularly liked some of Bruce's old songs in new versions such as 'Atlantic City', 'Open All Night', 'Further On (Up the Road)', and specially 'Highway Patrolman', which is in my Top 5 Bruce favorite songs and that is presented here in what some have said the definitive version of it. Bruce holds his guitar like Johnny Cash, and his voice is sometimes very tired. One of his back singers takes over sometimes, and I really liked that. The Sessions band is outstanding. All members are terrific musicians and prove to be a true good companion for Bruce. The only one I don't like is Patti, who strums her guitar (I am starting thinking her guitar might be unplugged) and moans instead of singing. I am sorry to be so blunt, but I am already fed up with her and her posing, always keeping an eye 'on the prize' (Bruce) like someone is going to steal him from her. This is music, HIS music, and it looks like she just has to be there, no matter what. After watching this video and being annoyed by her any time she took over, I went back and watch the videos on the Seeger album, and there is one video where the band is out in the garden playing, and there she is .... clapping hands! C'mon please, give me a break! She also appeared in the documentary for the Born to run BoxSet (Wings for Wheels), when she was not even a member of the E Street Band and she had nothing to do with it! I used to like her, but not anymore. She always does the same and it bothers me. Other than that, again, this is a good show and I recommend it to anyone who likes Bruce Springsteen.
P.S. If you like my review vote YES. You can read all my other reviews if you wish to. I modestly write them to help people form an opinion about movies, music and books, but if nobody reads them (if you don't vote I do not know if you did) there is no point in writing them.

Best music from Bruce in years.......2007-07-02

I first saw Bruce and his band at McDonough Arena in Georgetown in the mid-70's. I have a vivid memory of a wonderful night, ending with a raucus version of "Sea Cruise" that blew the doors off. This album brings back all of those great memories - and more. The musicianship is fantastic, the emotions of the whole band really come out. They love their work. It shows.

The band's performance in this instance is especially noteworthy for its masterful jazz harmonies, timbral balance, and rich polyphonic textures.

Time for a change.......2007-07-01

Did you ever see the (admittedly horrible) Bob Dylan movie Masked And Anonymous. There are about a half dozen full length live songs from Bob and his band. The band is backed close together on the stage and 1 (yes, one!!) camera is held rock steady for the whole performance on the whole band. The people who make Bruce's videos could use a little of this. The constant cutting away after a second or two is ridiculous. With the obvious care that Bruce puts into his recordings I really think he is clueless about this. Someone is making these decisions for him and Bruce doesn't understand how much it detracts from his work. Someday he will watch these things with eyes wide open and realize what has been done. Hopefully this will happen before the next dvd release.

Hushed Tones of a Haughiest Church,Wildness of a Brothel.......2007-06-28

"Last year' s Seeger Sessions was cut in just three days with a twelve-piece band that hadn't played together before. This Dublin stop, taped at the tail end of a seven-month tour, finds Bruce and the band going at the same material with a raw gusto that connects American traditions: mountain string bands, whorehouse Dixieland jazz, juke-joint rockabilly, Western swing and E Street soul. Across two CDs drawn from three concerts, Springsteen rips up old folk songs and revises nine slices of his back catalog -At home, the Sessions Band had trouble selling out Asbury Park. Overseas, they were greeted as heroes, and this is the proof of their heroism." ANDY GREENE

While I was watching this DVD, I was so enthralled and excited that I emailed my best friend about the experience. This DVD, in my opnion, is in the Top Five Concert DVD's of all time. The Sessions Band with Bruce Springsteen came together. The excitement and sheer joy of the event is palpable. Bruce Springsteen is a passionate performer who enjoys what he's doing, and he enjoys his audience as well. There was a sense of togetherness and intensity between the Sessions Band and Bruce and Patti Scalfia. The sound is fantastic, the crowd crackles with enthusiasm, and these musicians play without killing the flow.

This DVD was shot at The Point Theatre, in Dublin,Ireland. There were thousands of pumped Irish inside. Out on the stage comes a sixteen piece band armed with fiddles, trumpets, guitars and much more. The leader is one of the greatest performers: Bruce Springsteen. To start the night off they belt out Springsteen's own 'Atlantic City'. They end with a superb rendition of 'American Land'. I love nearly everything about this DVD. I strongly recommend 'Open All Night'. 9 minutes long, full of vocal and instrument solos it is one of the stand out sessio 'O Mary Don't You Weep,' is one of the best songs from Seeger, and it is stunning on this set. 'Pay Me My Money Down' and 'Jacob's Ladder' were highlights. 'Highway Patrolman' always had the markings of a country song. 'Long Time Comin' was superb.There are some powerful moments. The beautiful 'When The Saints Go Marching In,' with its shared lead vocals, goes into the raucous 'This Little Light Of Mine,' and then back to Bruce's own 'American Land.' 'If I Should Fall Behind' sung by Springsteen and Patti Scalfia was mesmorizing and beautiful. The show ends with an emotional and fitting 'We Shall Overcome.'

Mat Brewster: sums up this DVD the best: "It is both holy and profane. It has the hushed tones of the haughtiest church, and the wild secularism of the Saturday night brothel." Yessir, that's exactly right.

This concert was a once in a lifetime event. The stars were all aligned and everything came together. On the DVD just listen to the crowd reaction, the spontaneous singalongs, the sheer joy of the event. All those happy and lucky folks knew what was goin' on.

Heartily, Heartily Recommeded. prisrob 6-28-06

Live in Dublin

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

Great Night of American Protest Music.......2007-06-26

Recorded live in Dublin, Bruce Sprinsteen and the Sessions Band present a rousing celebration of American song. This is absolutely the best band Springsteen has played with and finally Columbia has got it right. The concert was filmed over the course of three shows in November 2006 at the Point in Dublin.

The stage had the look of a American Tent Show with the players side lit. The concert was captured on nine cameras in high definition. From the angry version of Atlantic City to a new version of Blinded By the Light the show is pure magic. You won't want to miss this collection of rare moments and great songs from the Seeger Sessions.

Do yourself a favor and buy it.

Roots (Four-Disc 30th Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

Roots
Roots
Great story
Roots(Four Disc 30th Anniversay Edition
Top Mini-Series of All-Time!

Roots (Four-Disc 30th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Maya Angelou , Ji-Tu Cumbuka , Moses Gunn , Thalmus Rasulala , and Hari Rhodes
Director: John Erman , Marvin J. Chomsky , and David Greene
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

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ASIN: B000NA21S6
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

Based on Alex Haley's best-selling novel about his African ancestors, Roots followed several generations in the lives of a slave family. The saga began with Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton), a West African youth captured by slave raiders and shipped to America in the 1700s. The family's saga is depicted up until the Civil War where Kunte Kinte's grandson gained emancipation. Roots made its greatest impression on the ratings and widespread popularity it garnered. On average, 130 million - almost half the country at the time - saw all or part of the series.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Documentaries
Electronic press kit
Featurette
Interviews

Customer Reviews:

Roots.......2007-07-03

I have seen this movie a long time ago, and it is still a excellent picture.

Roots.......2007-06-29

I had forgotten how moving this film is! Great acting, well written characters and a shameful recounting of slavery.

Great story.......2007-06-29

What a story, I think it should be in schools,lest it's forgotten.

Roots(Four Disc 30th Anniversay Edition.......2007-06-27

Everyone should own this disc set. It is a good educational tool for children in helping them to understand how wrong slavery was and how much the black race had to suffer for their freedom.The story behind this saga is sad but it also shows the determination of the black race to survive through unbearable times.

Top Mini-Series of All-Time!.......2007-06-26

The stories, the actors, the emotion ... everything about this mini-series in awe-inspiring and just plain inspiring! I'll be watching it over and over again, especially with my kids!

Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Veddy Nice
Controversial???
Controversially hilarious
Loved it!
First Class.

Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen , Ken Davitian , Luenell , Bobby Rowe , and Alan Keyes
Director: Larry Charles
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000MMMT9G
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Amazon.com

It takes a certain kind of comic genius to create a character who is, to quote the classic Sondheim lyric, appealing and appalling. But be forewarned: Borat is not "something for everyone." It arrives as advertised as one of the most outrageous, most offensive, and funniest films in years. Kazakhstan journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen reprising the popular character from his Da Ali G Show), leaves his humble village to come to "U.S. and A" to film a documentary. After catching an episode of Baywatch in his New York hotel room, he impulsively scuttles his plans and, accompanied by his fat, hirsute producer (Hardy to his Laurel), proceeds to California to pursue the object of his obsession, Pamela Anderson. Borat is not about how he finds America; it's about how America finds him in a series of increasingly cringe-worthy scenes. Borat, with his '70s mustache, well-worn grey suit, and outrageously backwards attitudes (especially where Jews are concerned) interacts with a cross-section of the populace, catching them, a la Alan Funt on Candid Camera, in the act of being themselves. Early on, an unwitting humor coach advises Borat about various types of jokes. Borat asks if his brother's retardation is a ripe subject for comedy. The coach patiently replies, "That would not be funny in America." NOT! Borat is subversively, bracingly funny. When it comes to exploring uncharted territory of what is and is not appropriate or politically correct, Borat knows no boundaries, as when he brings a fancy dinner with the southern gentry to a halt after returning from the bathroom with a bag of his feces ("The cultural differences are vast," his hostess graciously/patronizingly offers), or turns cheers to boos at a rodeo when he calls for bloodlust against the Iraqis and mangles "The Star Spangled Banner."

Success, John F. Kennedy once said, has a thousand fathers. A paternity test on Borat might reveal traces of Bill Dana's Jose Jimenez, Andy Kaufman, Michael Moore, The Jamie Kennedy Xperiment, and Jackass. Some scenes seem to have been staged (a game Anderson, whom Borat confronts at a book signing, was reportedly in on the setup), but others, as the growing litany of lawsuits attests, were not. All too real is Borat's encounter with loutish Southern frat boys who reveal their sexism and racism, and the disturbing moment when he asks a gun store owner what gun he would recommend to "kill a Jew" (a Glock automatic is the matter-of-fact reply). Comedy is not pretty, and in Borat it can get downright ugly, as when Borat and his producer get jiggly with it during a nude fight that spills out from their hotel room into the hallway, elevator, lobby and finally, a mortgage brokers association banquet. High-five! --Donald Liebenson

On the DVD
"Global Visitings" captures Borat-mania in all its hype and glory, as Sacha Baron Cohen, never breaking character, promotes his film around the world. On the itinerary is Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Toronto Film Festival, a now-legendary screening aborted after a projector malfunction. A mixed bag of deleted scenes finds Borat trying to bait more unsuspecting citizens, including an animal-control worker who refuses Borat a dog after he asks, "How do you recommend I cook this?" and a doctor who is nonplussed by Borat's obscene medical history. A supermarket visit offers the most maddening fromage-inspired looniness since Monty Python's "Cheese Shop" sketch. Also good for a few chuckles are a faux soundtrack commercial and a Baywatch parody ("Sexydangerwatch"). --Donald Liebenson

Beyond Borat

All things Sacha Baron Cohen
Borat Apparel
Borat Soundtrack

Stills from Borat (click for larger image)

Description

Sacha Baron Cohen brings his Kazakh journalist character Borat Sagdiyev to the big screen for the first time. Leaving his native Kazakhstan, Borat travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture.

Customer Reviews:

Veddy Nice.......2007-06-30

Borat is, simply put, one of the funniest films of all time. Sacha Cohen never steps out of character and what makes it funny is people believe he's real. Borat's apparent ignorance is a setup to reveal the actual ignorance of those he encounters. Though the producers got releases some are suing him for revealing how dumb they are.
Borat basically mocks all his characters attributes: antisemitism, sexism, lack of etiquette, etc. An interesting trivia note is when Borat is speaking Kazakh, he's really speaking Hebrew with some Polish thrown in. And his sidekick is speaking Armenian. The village is actually in Romania (and they're getting in on the lawsuits too). High five!

Controversial???.......2007-06-26

Potty humor. If you're 13 and you need a reminder of what anti-semitism is then go rent it... otherwise don't even bother. This movie was a complete waste of my time. I give it one star because I couldn't give it anything lower.

Controversially hilarious.......2007-06-20

I did not see this movie in theaters because it looked like garbage to me and I did not want to waste yet another ten dollars on a crappy film. One night when Borat was on video, I took a trip to the video store to rent Children of Men, but since they were out, I decided to rent Borat instead and give it a shot. What I discovered was possibly one of the funniest movies I have ever seen in my entire life. Sure, Borat was offensive, but sometimes you just need to put that aside and realize that the jokes are actually quite funny. I don't understand why people are saying that Borat is so terrible because it makes fun of so many different things, but in all actuality, it made fun of women to no end and I took no offense to that. It was all in good fun and everyone should remember that it was just a movie; if you don't like it, then don't watch it--no one is forcing you to like it. I personally enjoyed it quite a bit and it had me laughing out loud the entire time and I don't think another movie has ever had me laughing quite like that. At the very least, give the movie a shot. If you don't like it, then don't ever think about it again, but if you do, then props to you because the movie was genius and insanely funny.

Loved it!.......2007-06-18

I didn't know what to expect from this movie but I laughed all the way through it and even felt sorry for Borat a few times! The people who find the movie offensive likely have no sense of humor. NO "group" is left unscathed in this movie. Let's see we cover "Premier" Bush, blacks, feminazis, jews, gays, radical right-wing Christians, politicians, rednecks, uptight New Yorkers, and Hollywood, just to name a few.

The movie shows us our own idiocy. For instance when Borat is at the rodeo and he's talking to the guy who runs the rodio and the guy says Borat can't kiss him (as is Borat's custom) because he'll be seen as one of those fairy guys. And Borat says yes in his country they hang them and the rodeo redneck says something like "yeah that's what we're trying to get done here"! And then there's the three drunk Univ South Carolina frat boys in the van. Three drunk redneck boys going off about how men are better than women and how we should have slavery in America.

The movie poked fun NOT at the jews, blacks or gays (among several groups) but at the people who were prejudiced against them! That is so obvious!

I think it was ingenious!

First Class........2007-06-17

Well, first of all, I don't think there's any doubting that Sacha Baron Cohen is one of the most exceptional comedians of our day. His work here completely solidifies his reputation, and I look forward to him finding more work in Hollywood. Perhaps, like with Jim Carrey, they'll build entire films around his presence which would suit this fan just fine. It sounds like they're on the road to doing so as I read he's making a movie with Johnny Depp and I know he played a character in Talladega Nights. As for Borat, it is a magnificent film and I highly recommend it; although, it certainly isn't something that you can see over and over again. Its humor is all of the "embarrassment" variety so it goes down with the jolt and thrill of a shot of Maker's Mark. You do feel very bad for the average citizen who finds his or her self unintentionally lampooned. One aspect of it I loved in particular was the interaction between Borat and his producer. With the suit and short tie he was a 100 percent sterling imitation of a Soviet Union bureaucrat. Every time I saw that guy I laughed. I must disagree over the anti-Semitism charges as Borat's posing as an anti-Semite created the situation in which people could then speak more freely. Borat is also fun to laugh at and laughing at him also allows for the satirization of those who hold the same offensive views. We know that Jews don't run our nation or are a force of evil so it's quite natural, and healthy, to laugh at those fools who think otherwise. There's no Jew baiting here in my opinion. All there is a masterful cinematographic achievement. I can't wait for the Bruno flick to come out.

Frankenstein Conquers the World / Frankenstein Vs. Baragon

Average customer rating:

NICE TO SEE THIS ON DVD! KEEP THEM COMING!
Media Blasters does it again
You're kidding me right...?
frankenstein movie
Going to be Tokyo Shock's best release.

Frankenstein Conquers the World / Frankenstein Vs. Baragon
Starring: Tadao Takashima , Nick Adams , Kumi Mizuno , Yoshio Tsuchiya , and Koji Furuhata
Director: Ishirô Honda
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
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Mothra vs. Godzilla
Godzilla Raids Again

ASIN: B000JU8H7E
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Description

During WWII, a human heart taken from a certain lab in Europe (Dr. Frankenstein's) is kept in a Japanese lab. When it gets exposed to the radiation of the bombing of Hiroshima, the heart grows in size, mutates and sprouts appendages, and eventually grows into a complete body and escapes. Later, a feral boy with a certain physical deformity (a large head with a flat top) is captured by scientists who refer to the boy as Frankenstein. The creature grows to the height of 20 feet, escapes again, fights police and army, and is practically indestructible. Later, a reptilian monster goes on a rampage. Eventually the Frankenstein creature and the reptile face off in a terrible battle.

Customer Reviews:

NICE TO SEE THIS ON DVD! KEEP THEM COMING!.......2007-06-28

I must admit that I liked these ToHo films as a kid,but they are mostly for laughs now.I guess a little for nostalgia too. These Japanese Monster movies are just hysterical! I had not seen this one for many years and I was doubled over with laughter watching it! It is great that they released this film and I would have given it 5 stars,but I remember some different scenes as a kid that ended up in the deleted scenes section of this release. Still all and all a great buy with 3 versions of the film and lots of extra goodies. I would love to see "War Of The Gargantuas", "The Green Slime" and " Yog Monster from Space" released!

Media Blasters does it again.......2007-06-28

Another terrific release from this company. I'm so glad that original Japanese features are finally getting what they deserve. Subtitles too.
Great menus and extras as well.

You're kidding me right...?.......2007-06-22

Yeah I saw this movie when I was about five or seven years old. I'm sure I liked it at the time, but I do not now. "Frankenstein" looks like a John Ratzenber look alike in bad make-up, The monster design for Baragon was better (why did it have to be wasted in this movie). I have never seen the alternate ending with the giant octopus, but it sounds stupid (even for a Toho Monster Movie). In the end, Tokyo Shock may as well be called Tokyo S&^&%.

frankenstein movie.......2007-06-16

i just want to mention that this movie is one of the best that toho productions has ever made as far as science fiction and i would reccomend it to anyone

Going to be Tokyo Shock's best release........2007-06-06

I've been waiting for this movie to come out for quite some time. This movie and War of the Gargantuas. You gotta love the beautiful Ms. Kumi Mizuno. Beside her, the movie is good, one of Toho's best. Add that with the features this DVD is packing. Both Japanese and American releases along with deleted scenes and commentary. A must have for all Toho and movie monster fans. This year has been a blessing for Toho fans with the rereleases of their movies on DVD in widescreen modes and with special features. Grab your friends and a six pack of beer and watch all these rereleased DVDs.

Average customer rating:

One of the best shows on TV
One most the most pleasant and fun shows on television
NOT too ugly

Ugly Betty - The Complete First Season
Starring: America Ferrera , Eric Mabius , and Vanessa Williams
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005JPII
Release Date: 2007-08-21

Description

Audiences are cheering for a vibrant overachiever with the spirit and the smarts to live her dream. America Ferrera stars as go-getter Betty Suarez, a true beauty in the skin-deep world of high fashion. Two very different cultures collide in this sexy and stylish series about believing in yourself regardless of the odds. Earning Golden Globe Awards® for Best Television Series* and Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series* in its very first season, Ugly Betty is a runaway hit with fans and critics. "Ugly Betty is a thing of beauty," raves the Boston Herald. Experience every episode of Season One in this six-disc DVD box set. Plus, join executive producer Salma Hayek and actor Eric Mabius for exclusive show insights, and see what it takes for America Ferrera to get Bettyfied - available only on DVD. You'll find yourself falling in love with every minute of Ugly Betty.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best shows on TV.......2007-06-15

I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed a TV show this much since Friends.

America Ferrara, quite possibly one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen, stars as Betty, a young aspiring journalist/writer who is employed at "Mode"-a high fashion magazine-by the owner of the massive enterprise to help control his notoriously promiscuos party-boy son Daniel. Betty herself IS rather unfortunate looking, with little sense of style, apparent dental problems, and the lack of a waxer. However, despite the rather misleading title, the story is not at all about emphasizing her unattractiveness or a sort of a "makeover". Betty is a nice girl, with morals and a heart-a very genuine person...a stark contrast to all of the beautiful but unimpressive models and other personalities of Mode.

The series follows Betty's friends and family members, all well-drawn and complex, with numerous faults but ultimately you feel for them. Her family consists of her illegal immigrant but good-hearted father Ignacio, obnoxious and slightly high strung yet lovable sister Hilda, and her rather swooshy nephew, Justin. The family goes through a plethera of very realistic problems throughout the whole. Justin's father is-at the beggining- a shady figure, scantly in his life and then only to criticize. As the series progresses, however, he grows as a person and by the end you really want him to succeed(he doesn't, no other spoilers). Her father has a rather shady but understandable past, and is eventually shipped back to Mexico-his fate is questionable at the end of the series, however you know some pretty bad things are bound to happen.

Her other friends are equally colorful. The series begins with Betty in a serious relationship with Walter, a rather bland(read: GEEKY) man, who cheats on her, dumps her, and then wants her back again. However, he is ever-so-slightly redeemed with his grovelling and begging, along with his obvious remorse for what he has done, but nonetheless you know he is NOT good enough for her. Henry, a dorky-but-cute accountant at Mode, is. However, Betty is unsure of her feelings for him, and then she is dating Walter, and then she is not, and then he has a girlfriend, and many other mishaps come up. Henry is a charming, likeable guy who is undoubdtedly genuine in his feelings for Betty, their relationship is complex, interesting, and real.

The show is at its strongest, however, when dealing with the characters at Mode. While they may be darker shades of gray than Betty's friends and family, they are also more complex, more well-drawn, and more interesting. Daniel is a ladies man as established from day uno. However, there is another quality about him, that somewhere inside of him he is a good guy. He is troubled by losing his older brother, Alex, and has used women to get over it since it happened. Likewise, he becomes friends with Betty-perhaps the most stable relationship he's got. He becomes dependant upon his girlfriend-a captivating Selma Hayak-only to have his heart broken in a very public way. He then suffers a relapse and returns to his old ways, to only get worse as the season progresses. You really feel for Daniel, even if you frown upon his skirt-chasing ways.

Daniel's family is even more complex and interesting. His brother Alex turns out to be not so dead after all, in fact he is alive and well-except that he is now a she. The gorgeous Rebecca Romijn stars as her, and gives a highly sympathetic performance despite the fact that her concealing her survival from her family is a rather unlikable action. Her mother is similarly sympathetic, but you get mixed feelings towards her. She seems like a kind woman-she is-but she also is an alcoholic. Oh yeah, and she killed her husband's mistress. She was very mistreated by said mistress, and her husband, but that hardly makes it understandable. However, you don't hate Mrs. Meade and can actually feel for her. Mr Meade is easily the most unlikable character in the show, but you still find yourself feeling for him from time to time.

There is a Henry VIII-esq love triangle between Mr. Meade, Mrs. Meade, and Whilimena Slater. Whilimena is a very ambitious, intelligent, and somewhat likable "other woman" who seduces Mr. Meade so as to someday be the owner of Mode. For a while you think Whilly is a completely unsympathetic character until you examine her rocky relationship with her ungreatful daughter and the general emptiness of her life. Her two spastic assistants are the best-written characters. The "gay man" required in any and all comedies is both stereotypical and complex-he is on the surface rather flamboyant and harsh, but underneath it is a layer of sweetness and compassion, evident in his defending of Justin,eventual friendship of sorts with the formerly harrased Betty, and defending of Amanda. Amanda, the other assistant, is blonde and beautiful with the obvious bitchy exterior. Inwardly, however, is a broken heart and lonely woman, who it turns out, never knew her mother and is in love with Daniel.

The beauty of Ugly Betty is that, despite the obvious temptation, they have not once "made over" Betty. If they did, I would probably stop watching. The moral center of this show(that what is on the inside is all that really counts) seems obvious and cliche, is helpful in this Laguna Beach and Paris Hilton culture. As the main character is not a whiny brat with superficial problems and equally glossy friends, we can like Betty, sympathize with her and her problems, and revel in her happiness.

Two things that made the show even better than the five stars I've given it-the appearance of Kristin Chenowith in the finale(I am a broadway lover and Wicked addict) and the "B" necklace Betty wears. If you all didn't know, the necklace existed long before "Ugly Betty" and was, in fact, worn by Anne Boleyn, a Queen of England and personal hero of mine. It was just a lovely addition to a perfect show.

Highly, fully reccomended.

One most the most pleasant and fun shows on television.......2007-05-18

In retrospect, the 2006-2007 television season debuted an unusually large number of first rate new series: HEROES, MEN IN TREES, 30 ROCK, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, DEXTER, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and UGLY BETTY. That is a remarkably strong group of new shows. UGLY BETTY occupied a unique niche among them. The new show it most resembled was MEN IN TREES. Both were light fare, intended to entertain and charm rather than challenge and rattle. It was unorthodox, but in comforting ways. It was, basically, a very nice show. One never came away from any episode shocked or dismayed as with the best episodes of DEXTER or FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, but to tell the truth, after a week of watching my favorite shows on TV--BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, LOST, DEXTER, and others that were sometimes exceedingly emotional affairs to watch, I found it a refreshing change of pace, never shocking, never emotionally taxing, never intellectually demanding. It managed always to be smart while also very easy to absorb. Most of all, it was great fun.

The plot was simple. Betty Suarez desires a job in publishing. After she applies at MODE magazine, where she has a disastrous interview, she finds herself mysterious hired as assistant to editor Daniel Meade, playboy son of Meade Publishing owner Bradford Meade. It turns out that Bradford had seen her leaving the building and ordered her hired for his son simply because she is as far from a fashion model in appearance as can be imagined. She has terrible hair, dresses horridly, has garish braces, thick glasses (and eyebrows), and carries more weight than your standard attractive woman. Father makes her employment mandatory for his rare-do-well son. Very quickly, however, she proves herself not merely necessary for Daniel's professional life, but a good friend as well. One of the most attractive aspects of the show is, in fact, their genuinely caring, completely platonic, friendship. Working at MODE pulls Betty into a world of interoffice intrigue and political infighting. To be honest, I could have lived without any of the stories. The appeal was just about 100% based on a large number of likable and adorable characters popping up each week.

America Ferrera, who had previously been amazingly effective in the cult-hit film REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES and the teen chick flick THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS (a sequel to the latter is due in 2008), simply steals this show as Betty. Though not a slender actress, America in fact has a beautiful face. They do a great make up job on her, however, putting a terrible wig on her each week (with very stressed looking hair), gluing thick, fake eyebrows on her, giving her thick-framed, brightly colored glasses, fake braces, make up to give her an unpleasant complexion, and an incredibly unflattering set of clothes. Despite this dramatic transformation each week, Betty manages to be utterly charming and adorable. A couple of people I've talked to feel it is a bit of a cheat to have an attractive woman play someone who is supposed to be "ugly," but I think it would be a bit cruel to take an unattractive person and have them play such a role. I would be surprised if she does not get an Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. Lauren Graham deserves to win in this category (as she does every year) for her genius work in THE GILMORE GIRLS, but since the Emmys year after year have ignored Graham (her show is on the wrong network), I will probably be pulling for America to win.

Ferrera is supported by an amazingly strong cast. Eric Mabius is wonderful as Daniel, consistently showing himself to be a decent guy despite his efforts to transform himself into a waste of humanity. I think there is a secret contract someone dictating that Alan Dale appear in every other show on TV in some capacity or other. He is his usual stern self as Bradford Meade (he also has a very occasional but ongoing role in LOST, the only show I've seen him on where he gets to use something like is native Kiwi accent). Vanessa Williams is a lot of fun as the scheming and unscrupulous Wilhelmina Slater, the fashion editor at MODE who would love to be the editor in chief. Ashley Jensen, who really is Scottish, plays the head of wardrobe at MODE and one of Betty's few friends at the magazine. But the people at MODE who make the show worth watching are Michael Urie and Becki Newton, who play Marc and Amanda, Wilhelmina's gay assistant and the mildly sluttish receptionist, both of them for most of the season Betty's mortal enemies (though by end of season she was making headway with both of them as friends, in particular Marc, inspiring him to come out to his mother). There is also Henry, winningly played by Christopher Gorham. He had previously played the title role in JAKE 2.0, on which UGLY BETTY executive producer Silvio Horta also worked. I suspect his appearing on UGLY BETTY has something to do with that connection. Gorham is a very good-looking guy who is somehow able to pull off completely nerdy guys, in this show an accountant.

But there is more than just the office. There is Betty's home life. Veteran character actor Tony Plana plays Betty's illegal immigrant father (one of the subplots deals with his attempt to get a green card). He is one of these actors who has appeared in literally hundreds of TV shows and movies, but has rarely had an especially prominent role. You love to see fine actors who have paid their dues get a great role like this one. Ana Ortiz is hysterical as Betty's garish sister Hilda, but the person who steals nearly every scene in the Suarez household is twelve-year old Mark Indelicato, who plays Betty's nephew Justin. We don't know that Justin is gay, but his effeminate swagger, his deep love of stage musicals, and his encyclopedic knowledge of fashion marks him with all of the stereotypes.

This show is too smart to be a guilty pleasure, but it is just as much fun as one. It doesn't go on my list of my absolute favorite shows. It isn't as sophisticated or as intelligent as FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, as engrossing as LOST, a fist-in-the-gut like DEXTER or THE WIRE, or as original or jaw-droppingly brilliant as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, but sometimes you just aren't in the mood for something as heavy as these shows. Sometimes you just want to have a good time and relax. I promise there are few shows on television more perfect for that than this.

NOT too ugly.......2007-05-10

America Ferrera (who made people's 100 most beautiful list) is fantastic as Betty. It's a cheesy and fun show. It is just as good as the original novella version my grandma watches. It's not the West Wing or anything, but it's a cute quirky show.

Frank Zappa: Apostrophe / Over-Nite Sensation

Average customer rating:

Roxy Still Eslewhere
Outstanding bonus material, good feature material
more music less talk
Outstanding
A bit too much wasted on off-topic tabloid food

Frank Zappa: Apostrophe / Over-Nite Sensation
Starring: Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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Imaginary Diseases
Trance-Fusion
Frank Zappa: Dub Room Special
Live at Montreux 2003
Frank Zappa - Baby Snakes

ASIN: B000OCXM0O
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

History will show that Frank Zappa (1940-1993) was one of the greatest American composers of the 20th century in any musical form, and this superb episode of the Classic Albums series offers ample proof of Zappa's genius. As Zappa's reverent son and musical heir Dweezil Zappa rightly points out, Over-Nite Sensation (1973) and Apostrophe (') (1974) are the albums that epitomize Zappa's masterful jazz/rock fusion, virtually defining a unique musical genre that can only be called "Zappa." The recording of both albums is chronicled here not simply because they best represent the dazzling complexity of Zappa's music, but also because they were recorded simultaneously in a burst of creativity, proving beyond any doubt that Zappa was more than simply a mischievous provocateur. While the world may know Zappa from his mainstream novelty hit "Valley Girl" (with daughter Moon on vocals), any devoted Zappaphile will tell you that this is the real Zappa, in full musical bloom, working miracles in the studio with The Mothers of Invention and a stellar variety of topnotch musicians who cite their time with Zappa as the most rewarding period of their careers.

The Classic Albums series strives to be definitive, and this must-have DVD is fully authorized in the scope of its coverage. With complete cooperation and participation from the remaining Zappa family (sons Dweezil and Ahmet, daughter Moon, and widow Gail are all extensively interviewed) and additional interviews with Billy Bob Thornton, Alice Cooper, guitarist Steve Vai, veteran Rolling Stone critic David Fricke, and many of Zappa's closest associates and collaborators, this 97-minute documentary is packed with highlights and fascinating revelations, like the pristine precision of Zappa's hand-written compositions, Zappa's childhood fascination with the compositions of Edgard Varèse, and his diligent, prolific, and disciplined, drug-free approach to recording and touring. Zappa's studio process is amazingly revealed when Dweezil and Zappa "Vaultmeister" Joe Travers sit down at a mixing table to analyze the master tapes of classic Zappa tracks like the hilariously controversial "Dyna-Moe Humm." In addition to vintage archival clips of Zappa discussing his music and career, and home movies of Zappa's band on tour during the mid-1970s, this DVD also includes the complete video of Zappa performing "I'm the Slime" on Saturday Night Live in 1976, live footage of a 1973 performance of "Montana," and a new performance of "Camarillo Brillo" by Dweezil's tribute band, Zappa Plays Zappa (with Dweezil playing one of his father's favorite Gibson guitars). Bonus features also include a Travers-hosted trip into the massive Zappa archives, and further deconstruction of Zappa tracks "Dirty Love" and "Nanook Rubs It." If you're a casual Zappa fan, this DVD will turn you into a passionate convert. For those who've loved Zappa all along, it's a little bit of heaven here on Earth. --Jeff Shannon

Description

"This is where you go to find every aspect of Frank's music squeezed into two perfectly formed records."Dweezil Zappa. This new addition to Eagle Vision's acclaimed Classic Albums series focuses on Frank Zappa's early seventies albums "Overnite Sensation" (1973) and "Apostrophe(`)" (1974). Together they encapsulate Zappa's extraordinary musical diversity and were also the two most commercially successful albums that he released in his prolific career. As ever the program uses interviews, musical demonstrations, rare archive and home movie footage plus live performances to tell the story behind the conception and recording of these groundbreaking albums. TRACKLISTING: Features excerpts from: -Dinah-Moe Humm -I'm The Slime -Montana -St Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast -Dirty Love -Cosmic Debris -Stink-Foot & more.

Customer Reviews:

Roxy Still Eslewhere.......2007-06-27

Worth the price for "Montana" alone - extracted from the long, lost "Roxy & Elsewhere" shows. I live in hope that the Zappa Family Trust will relent, put this set out and finally end the yearning of Zappa fans across the world.

Outstanding bonus material, good feature material.......2007-06-27

The bonus material in this DVD is excellent. There is a great version of Montana with the 73 Roxy band using two drummers (Chester, of course went forward as the one drummer in 74...)the shots of Ruth Underwood and the interview with Ruth is such a treat because her music was such an amazing part of Zappa's music that was never replaced in any of his future bands. The studio analysis was very good but a bit brief in my opinion because there is so much music to analyze in these recordings. The biography parts of the studio analysis/feature were very good and informative and of interest to those not acquainted with Zappa's music. Learn more about Tina and the Ikettes and try not to be turned off by some very dry performances from Zappa plays Zappa. The ZPZ sections were really the only parts that were not excellent (I know they have to sound better than that!) the video is a very interesting piece which is accessible to both serious music nerds and non Zappa fans.

more music less talk.......2007-06-15

To the die-hard frank fan this historical footage will be invaluable. But to regular fans or to the person who may wear an occasional python boot it will be disappointing. Not enough music and to many interviews.

Outstanding.......2007-06-12

Wow, a great DVD. Haven't seen any other episodes of this series but this is excellent. Not exactly an unauthorized biography but great insights into Z's processes and nice tidbits like tina turners uncredited background vocals on Dinah Moe-Humm (you can almost imagine Ike with his hands around her throat)and insightful inteviews with those involved. Plenty of ex-bandmates (see Aynsley Dunbar for one, and all The Grandmothers for others) have had nothing nice to say about Z so its nice to see soe home cooking. Here's a vote for more of these - he made over 70 albums while alive, so lets see more.

A bit too much wasted on off-topic tabloid food.......2007-06-12

More should have been spent on the testimonies of other surviving members of the Mothers of Invention - I am not sure the actual name of this band is even mentionned once! - or at least of the few that made it in the final script or accepted to be part of it. Long time Zappa wizes like George Duke and Ian Underwood must have had tons of insights to share on the learning, arranging and performing of this music, yet so little remains here. (Who IS this guy with the cap!?) Luckily, we have Ruth Komanoff's brilliant and slightly didactive demonstration of her tuned percussion skills, love of Zappa's music and wildly amusing account of how her marimba came to be electrically amplified. Zappa's elder son Dweezil comments at the mixing board about the master tapes, and this is also very precious and quite revealing, especially for those who think these are merely "joke albums".

Neither on Apostrophe nor Over-Nite is there a single song related to groupies (had it been "Fillmore East June '71" and "200 Motels", it would have been different), and Zappa had said before in interviews that "Dina-Moh Hum" is a fictitious tale. But the steamy ditty is taken as pretext to stray off towards tabloid-type nurishment for too long in such a short program. And they should have also take the time to explain who the character in "I'm The Slime" really is, for those who can't read.

But a very good documentary all in all, if not at premium cost.

Average customer rating:

Not family material
Psst.... George? You're NOT Mexican!
White and Hispanics Will Wet pants with laughter!
Excellent

George Lopez - America's Mexican
Starring: George Lopez
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

George Lopez - Why You Crying?
George Lopez - The Complete First and Second Seasons
El Mas Chingon
The Original Latin Kings of Comedy
Why You Crying?: My Long, Hard Look at Life, Love, and Laughter

ASIN: B000P6R6XS
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Description

Superstar comedian/actor George Lopez, one of the premier comedic talents in the entertainment industry, makes his HBO solo debut performed live in front of a packed house at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. Lopez delivers a hilarious routine touching on his own Latino roots, immigration and naturalization, modern-day kids, old-school values, interracial relationships, the e-coli outbreak, and the future.

Customer Reviews:

Not family material.......2007-07-04

I bought this DVD expecting George's clean light-hearted humor that I saw in Why You Crying. This was a complete diversion from that style. This was offensive and crass. I used to be a die hard fan of Lopez. Not any more.

Psst.... George? You're NOT Mexican!.......2007-07-03

But you are a highly hillarious individual who thouroughly deserves his own sitcom and line of products. You're SO much better than Carrot-Top!

White and Hispanics Will Wet pants with laughter!.......2007-06-14

In this Funny "because it's true" style Comedy, the laughter starts as soon as the show begins! George does not hold back on this one, with his comedic take on the Latino and White Culture ways of doing things. His hillariouse political non sense views on Pres. Bush, "FTP" and Gov. Arnold Schwartzanager, are a MUST SEE!

Top it all off with those Certain family memembers we all know we have, from the worn out Aunt who's still wearing them disco thongs, to Grandma's Dimensia! All in all if you're looking for a good laugh, George Lopez's America's Mexican is Gauranteed to Deliver!!!

Excellent.......2007-06-08

This is terrific! I am a big fan of George Lopez, have attended his comedy shows and own several DVD's. However, this is the best. He talks about everything from politics, to religion to family and beyond. He talks about being true to who you are and not giving in to the pressures of society. Great show!!!

Average customer rating:

Heartfelt but unmoving and slightly disappointing
A disappointment
Excellent film, based on historical facts.
Stunning
The Mission

The Mission (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Robert De Niro , Jeremy Irons , Ray McAnally , Aidan Quinn , and Cherie Lunghi
Director: Roland Joffé
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Mission: Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture
A Man for All Seasons (Special Edition)
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Romero
Chariots of Fire (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00003CXBH
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Amazon.com

Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields) directs this fuzzy effort at a David Lean-like epic without David Lean's sense of emotional proportion. Lean's most important screenwriting collaborator, Robert Bolt, in fact wrote The Mission, which concerns a Jesuit missionary (Jeremy Irons) who establishes a church in the hostile jungles of Brazil and then finds his work threatened by greed and political forces among his superiors. Robert De Niro is briefly effective as a callous soldier who kills his own brother and then turns to Irons's character to oversee his penance and conversion to the clergy. The narrative and dramatic forces at work in this movie should be more stirring and powerful than they are--the problem being that Joffé is too removed from them to allow us in. --Tom Keogh

Description

Rodrigo Mendoza (ROBERT DE NIRO) was a violent soldier-for-hire in 1750s South America. Now he is a man of peace serving the Rain Forest Indians he once enslaved. But armies of Spain and Portugal threaten the lifestyle and safety of the native peoples. Now Rodrigo may have to pick up his sword and musket once again. From the producer of Chariots of Fire and the director of The Killing Fields comes a powerful epic co-starring JEREMY IRONS and graced with dazzling Academy Award-winning cinematography, set to a memorable music score and scripted by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of A Man for All Seasons and Doctor Zhivago.

Customer Reviews:

Heartfelt but unmoving and slightly disappointing.......2007-06-08

One of a trio of big-budget films that was intended to turn Goldcrest into a major producer after a run of successful (mostly) low-budget films but which instead all but destroyed the company, The Mission isn't as irredeemably disastrous as Revolution or as over-reaching as Absolute Beginners, but it's still a disappointment despite its many admirable qualities. Screenwriter Robert Bolt has an interesting, if obscure story to tell in the violent closure of the 18th Century Jesuit missions in Paraguay as part of a territorial wrangle between Spain and Portugal, with the Vatican going along with genocide to avoid political repercussions in Europe while the priests in the missions try to protect their native Guarani converts from the slave traders simply waiting for the Church to withdraw its protection. Robert Bolt's screenplay is strong, thanks to Chris Menges' cinematography the film looks superb and Ennio Morricone's score is one of his best. Yet the film feels as if something is missing, possibly because it is: the work-in-progress version that won the Palme D'Or at Cannes was reputedly nearly twice as long. What's left tells the story and makes its points, but doesn't really touch the heart or carry you along with more than academic interest. But perhaps worst of all, there's a gaping hole where the heart of The Mission should be in the form of Robert De Niro.

He looks the part, learnt fencing, speaks Spanish, yet for all that it's a hollow shell of a performance hiding behind underplayed surface detail. On paper his character is easily the film's most interesting, going from slave-trader to Jesuit missionary only to find himself at odds with his vows when he needs to protect those he used to prey on with force, but De Niro brings nothing to the part in a passive, detached and unemotional performance. His crisis of conscience and road to possible redemption seems no more torturous that trying to decide what to order from a disappointing restaurant menu. Very much a supporting role, if it weren't for his reputation you'd have no idea he's supposed to be the great actor of his generation.

By contrast, Jeremy Irons, often a stuffy and mechanical performer, is something of a revelation here, taking the part to heart and abandoning all artifice to give a performance that draws its strength from its genuine humility and humanity. But the film's best performance comes from Ray McAnally as the Papal representative sent ostensibly to judge the matter but in reality to provide a fig leaf for the Church abandoning its converts only to find himself all too aware of the immorality of his actions and tormented by his inability to rebel against them. It's a subtle portrait but a powerful one, and puts a genuinely human face on the film's clash between the ideals of faith and the realities of the way of the world. In many ways it's almost a pity that the film keeps him on the sidelines. (Incidentally, one of the actors playing one of the Jesuit missionaries, Daniel Berrigan, was himself a Jesuit missionary who had been threatened with excommunication, while the Portuguese villain of the piece is played by De Niro's real estate broker!)

The 2-disc DVD comes with an excellent one hour documentary about the making of the film from the days when they weren't studio-sanctioned love-ins. Concentrating on the impact on the Waunana extras, much emphasis is placed on the possibly devastating cultural effects their involvement could have, only to be somewhat torpedoed by the telling detail at the end of the program that the entire tribe received only £85,000 for a month-and-a-half's work - apparently rather less than the fencing instructor De Niro insisted be flown in to the location to teach him got if producer David Puttnam's memoirs are to be believed (De Niro fences for a grand total of 30 seconds in the film).

Also included are an audio commentary by Joffe and the full theatrical trailer.

A disappointment.......2007-05-12

My disappointment is because, having received the disc, I found it would not work in European format. The subject of the film was the basis of a discussion I had with several friends when the bi-centenary of the abolition was discussed. I told of this film which I had seen in the UK some years back. As I could neither see it nor show it, I lost my argument!!

Excellent film, based on historical facts........2007-05-07

The content of the film is excellent. the DVD is good, but at some point the picture stops, few seconds after it runs again.

Stunning.......2007-03-31

This is a true story and it is a very sad one in the history of the west and of the church.
Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson and many more take us through the history of slavers in South America. Irons, who plays a Spanish Jesuit Priest, goes into the wilderness to build a mission, to convert the Indians. DeNiro plays a slaver who eventually joins Irons' mission and serves the native peoples.

The main question in this film is that of ownership, and the right to make slaves. The mission begins in Spanish territory that is sold to the Portuguese. The Portuguese do not want to accept that the natives are humans - but at best trained monkeys - and that their Christianity does not protect them from becoming slaves. The Cardinal who came to oversee the decision came with a decision already made, and his inner turmoil, as the narrator, draws the viewer into the political side of the decision and the political side of the church's role in the decision, at that time, in a way that few other films ever have.

The film is a cinematographic masterpiece. While watching the movie, pay close attention to light and darkness, the music, and the angles used in filming. This movie is great and a must see because of the story it tells and the way it tells it. It is truly a film and not just a movie.

The Mission.......2007-03-29

I have always loved this movie, but especially love the music used in the soundtrack. It lifts the soul.

Average customer rating:

classic romantic comedy
Love Conquers All in Notting Hill
"Surreal, But Nice": Pleasant Romantic Comedy from Richard Curtis
Fulfills all your
comfort food for the lazy sunday

Notting Hill (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Julia Roberts , Hugh Grant , Richard McCabe , Rhys Ifans , and James Dreyfus
Director: Roger Michell
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
Four Weddings and a Funeral
You've Got Mail
About a Boy (Widescreen Edition)
Bridget Jones's Diary (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B000023VTP
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Product Description

Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is the world s most famous movie star. Her picture has been plastered on the cover of every magazine, and every time she makes a move, the entire world knows about it. William Thacker (Hugh Grant) owns a travel bookstore in the quaint neighborhood of Notting Hill. His business is stagnant, he has the roommate from hell and his love life is completely nonexistent. Then one day, their paths cross and the couple comes to face the ultimate question: can two people fall in love with the whole world watching?

System Requirements:
Starring: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus, Rhys Ifans, Tim McInnerny, and Gina McKee. Directed By: Roger Michell Running Time: 124 Mins., Color This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 1999 Universal Studios

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

They don't really make many romantic comedies like Notting Hill anymore--blissfully romantic, sincerely sweet, and not grounded in any reality whatsoever. Pure fairy tale, and with a huge debt to Roman Holiday, Notting Hill ponders what would happen if a beautiful, world-famous person were to suddenly drop into your life unannounced and promptly fall in love with you. That's the crux of the situation for William Thacker (Hugh Grant), who owns a travel bookshop in London's fashionable Notting Hill district. Hopelessly ordinary (well, as ordinary as you can be when you're Hugh Grant), William is going about his life when renowned movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walks into his bookstore and into his heart. After another contrived meet-cute involving spilled orange juice, William and Anna share a spontaneous kiss (big suspension of disbelief required here), and soon both are smitten. The question is, of course, can William and Anna reconcile his decidedly commonplace bookseller existence and her lifestyle as a jet-setting, paparazzi-stalked celebrity? (Take a wild guess at the answer.) Smartly scripted by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and directed by Roger Michell (Persuasion), Notting Hill is hardly realistic, but as wish fulfillment and a romantic comedy, it's irresistible. True, Roberts doesn't really have to stretch very far to play a big-time actress who makes $15 million per movie, but she's more winning and relaxed than she's been in years, and Grant is sweetly understated as a man blindsided by love. Together, in moments of quiet, they're a charming couple, and you can feel her craving for real love and his awe and amazement at the wonderful person for whom he has fallen. The only blight on the film is its overbearing pop soundtrack, though Elvis Costello's heart-wrenching version of "She" gets poignant exposure. With Rhys Ifans as Grant's scene-stealing, slovenly housemate and Alec Baldwin in a sly, perfectly cast cameo. --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews:

classic romantic comedy.......2007-05-13

Notting Hill is a modern single man's fairy tale and I don't mean that in a bad way. Julie Roberts never looked better, Hugh Grant is his charming best, the supporting cast are all likeable. The story is believeable and beautifully directed. If your like romantic comedies or are just looking to watch a good movie that you will walk away from feeling good then "Notting Hill" is the movie for you.

Love Conquers All in Notting Hill.......2007-05-10

This is a charming movie that I've seen several times and will probably see again. It's an upbeat, miracles happen, "celebrities are people too" kind of movie.

Boy meets girl, girl says "NO", then changes her mind. And keeps changing it. Anyone who has said "No", when his/her heart was yelling, "Yes Yes Yes ", can relate to this movie a lot.

One of the aspects that I found so interesting was the rigidly controlled structure under which Anna was required to live her life. And how relentlessly she had to smile, regardless of how she was feeling. It must be tough to have to be "on" so much of the time. NOTTING HILL gave us a window into the world in which celebrities live and some of the challenges they face.

This is a heartwarming, funny movie starring 2 talented actors playing 2 really likable characters. I have a weakness for movies with American/British romantic pairings, since Americans and Brits are culturally so different; in this movie, the plot is sweetened with the added romantic complication of wealthy/famous and not so wealthy or famous. It's a heartwarming rollicking ride !

I highly recommend Notting Hill.

"Surreal, But Nice": Pleasant Romantic Comedy from Richard Curtis.......2007-04-18

Of course in real life this would not happen, at least not to me. William, owner of a small bookshop in Notting Hill, not only falls in love with a Hollywood star Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts who is virtually playing herself), but also he really begins to go out with her. Can an ordinary guy be the true love of the star whose face covers magazines every week? Here is a one story, delightfully romantic and told with humor, about the possibility of such a romance. The story sounds implausible, but still a very good one.

Despite some incredible situations, the chemistry between the two leads makes us forget them temporarily, and their romance is enchanting (and a bit predictable) to the end. In addition to Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant (and their undeniable star power), the film is supported by gifted actors playing colorful characters; they are Gina McKee, James Dreyfus, Emma Chambers and inimitable Rhys Ifans as Spike, the most unusual lodger in London. Amusing cameos of Alec Baldwin, Matthew Modine and young Mischa Barton as child actor (like she was then) shoud not be missed.

Pleasant romantic comedy "Notting Hill" is written by Richard Curtis, whose works before this one include equally romantic "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and less successful "The Tall Guy," both of which are based on the American-in-London situations. His script of "Notting Hill" is always witty, giving us some sly comments on human relations and film industry. (In fact, I am using it as the text for my English class in Japan.)

Some people may say this is not real Notting Hill (you don't see Notting Hill Carnival, for example) and probably they are right because, as I said, in real London this would not happen. It belongs to the ever-overcrowding genre of romantic comedy where romance means a lot, and in this respect "Notting Hill" is a success.

Fulfills all your .......2007-03-13

romantic needs. It is a cute movie about a girl and a guy who eventually get together. The process in between is hilarious!

comfort food for the lazy sunday.......2007-01-12

How can you not love this film? buy a copy and save it for the days when all hope has gone. this film really stands out as a repeat viewer.

The Eagles - Farewell 1 Tour - Live From Melbourne

Average customer rating:

Great concert
Awesome
Lets hope this is the first of MANY farewells yet...
A farewell tour that says a forever "hello"!
Eagles - Farewell Tour Melbourne

The Eagles - Farewell 1 Tour - Live From Melbourne
Starring: Don Henley , Joe Walsh (III) , Timothy B. Schmit , Glenn Frey , and Christian Mostert
Director: Carol Dodds
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire - Live at the Greek Theatre
The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
Crossroads Guitar Festival
Paul McCartney - Live in Red Square
Fleetwood Mac - The Dance

ASIN: B00092ZMDY
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Amazon.com

Thirty songs, spread out over two discs and well over two and a half hours, with fine performances, great sound, and good visual direction: it's all here on Farewell 1 Tour, a documentary of the Eagles' 2004 concert in Melbourne, Australia. At one point, the veteran band seemed unlikely to even make it to the new millennium, but here they are, mostly intact, with a string of hits dating back more than three decades. The majority of them are performed here, from the earliest ("Take It Easy," "Desperado," "Peaceful Easy Feeling") through "Hotel California" and "Life in the Fast Lane" and right up to "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (from Hell Freezes Over, their most recent recording with new material on it); there are also hits from Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Joe Walsh's solo careers, and a few new songs as well, including Walsh's "One Day at a Time" (an earnest ode to his new-found sobriety) and "Hole in the World," Frey and Henley's moving, almost gospel-tinged reaction to the events of 9/11/01. Guitarist Don Felder, who split acrimoniously with the band in 2001, isn't much missed, as replacement Steuart Smith plays the parts just as Felder did--i.e., pretty much exactly as they were recorded (indeed, pristine recreations of the studio versions of their songs has always been a hallmark of the Eagles' live shows). As for the somewhat cheeky title, well, there's always been a certain smugness to the Eagles' sense of humor, and it's no different this time, as Frey doesn't even pretend that there won't be a Farewell 2 Tour in the future. And why not? These are good songs, played beautifully by the quartet (plus supplemental musicians) to audiences that love them. Bonus material is limited to perfunctory interviews with the band. --Sam Graham

Description

Without doubt, the Eagles are one of the all-time biggest acts in popular music since the dawn of the rock'n'roll era. The band's roots go back to their role as defining artists in the phenomenally popular Southern California rock scene of the '70s, a decade in which they delivered four consecutive #1 albums. Their momentous 2004 farewell tour filled stadiums around the world, and this 2-DVD set captures one of the most stellar events from that now-historic global sweep. Track Listings: Disc 1: Long Run, New Kid in Town, Wasted Time, Peaceful Easy Feeling, I Can't Tell You Why, One of These Nights, One Day At A Time (New Track), Lyin' Eyes, Boys of Summer, In The City, Already Gone, Tequila Sunrise, Love Will Keep Us Alive, No More Cloudy Days (New Track), Hole In the World, Take It To the Limit, Disc 2: You Belong to the City, Walk Away, Sunset Grill, Life's Been Good, Dirty Laundry, Funk #49, Heartache Tonight, Life in the Fast Lane, Hotel California, Rocky Mountain Way, All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Take It Easy, Desperado

Customer Reviews:

Great concert.......2007-06-05

Pop this baby in your DVD player and turn on the DTS. This is a great concert all around, these guys can still play and sing. Watch for many of their classic songs such as New Kid In Town and Desperado, as well as some new ones.

The real treat though is the sound, the harmonies are crisp, and the music is very clear. Bring on Farewell II!

Awesome.......2007-05-21

In my opinion, the Eagles are the best band ever, and these DVDs are incredible. Well worth the money. Wish I could have been at the concert.

Lets hope this is the first of MANY farewells yet..........2007-05-15

A fabulous documentation of The Eagles much heralded Farewell I Tour of 2003, from the performance in Melbourne, Australia, the generous 2 Disc set includes a great amount of Eagle classics and favourites, 2 exceptional new tracks from their upcoming 2007 studio album, and a thrilling assortment of the best of each respective member's solo work from the 70s-90s. The Eagles are in fine vocal form, showcasing the famous four-part harmonies that graced some of their best recordings. The performances, instrumentally, are extremely impressive, and the extra muscle of the newly added four-man brass section adds an amazing new flavor to the group's classic sound. The picture and audio quality are all first rate, and one can only hope that this is a first in a long series of live sets available in the next decade of Eagle music.

A farewell tour that says a forever "hello"! .......2007-05-13

Ease back and get comfortable. This is going to blow you right out of your doldrums and into a new attitude for life, love, and music. This is a consummate piece of music that will fill your whole being. Fun, Fantastic, and Forever music by the Eagles. Their whole jive is a gift to all of us. From their oldest classics of the 1972 vintage right up to their newest release, this is a tribute to all of us. We can share their music, their souls, and their gifted talents with harmony of mind, spirit, and heart. I can only give the most heartedly recommendation of this release to your music collection. It is pure. It is like having the first taste of mountain spring water after a walk in the desert of sound.. this is music. Clean, clear, and a passage to places only your heart can lead you. Buy it. Best thing you can do!

Eagles - Farewell Tour Melbourne.......2007-05-07

I you like the Eagles at all, this dvd is AWESOME!!!! Never tire of it.

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